Disclaimer: Hunter x Hunter belongs to Togashi Yoshihiro.
A/N: The reason for which this one's longer than the other two is basically that I hadn't thought about how to place the chapters while I'm writing the fic - I just write. Kikyou is somewhat of a flat character, though that may change. There is some out-of-character-ness here on probably Hisoka's part. This concludes the thwarted attempt on Alluka's life; so what happens now? Stay tuned .. Have fun!
Chapter 3: Give Me Nothing
The slender assassin is bracing his back against the rough wood of the door, his heart drumming rapidly in his chest. Hisoka had reached for his belt - no man would in an ordinary situation kiss another man and then just...
Damn that hedonist. He reminds himself that the magician is certainly not an ordinary human being; this is also not an ordinary situation. Supposedly, he would have just killed Alluka and be done with it. Yet the man had to stand in his way, tossing out words that stirred feelings of guilt. Illumi's elders of the Zaoldyecks had trained him to be mostly emotionless, to be able to end lives without batting an eyelash - but those were people he did not know. Alluka's his youngest brother, a kid his parents had him take care of ever since he was born. There is a difference, right?
The thought leads him to the question of what to do now. If he were to really save Alluka, he can not go home, back to his stone cold room in the Zaoldyeck mansion. No, the albino child would have to be taken away - to where? He does not know yet. And to what extent would Hisoka be involved in this? Illumi flushes again, thinking of the muscular man he had just fought against. He still didn't understand why the man demanded that Alluka be kept alive. What's with killing each other and then suddenly kissing him?
Pain shoots up his right side, sharply. With all the confusion, he had momentarily forgotten about his broken ankle and ribs. Running away when Hisoka was - he shudders at the thought - trying to undress him was more so instinct or reflex. Using one hand on the doorknob, he lowers himself to sit on the ground, staring straight in front of him at the plain room. The wood floorboards creak. He cringes as he bends forward to touch the broken ankle with his hands. Within a few moments, skilled fingers reconnects the broken parts of the bone, and the tendons straighten out. He applies the same pressure to his ribs, willing them to fix themselves. Sharp pain eases to a dull ache. He will have to think everything else through later - for now, he needs some shut eye. Making sure the door behind him is locked, he drifts himself to sleep on the wooden floor. For someone with a lifestyle like his, physical comforts aren't really needed.
The noises cease. Alluka assumes that the soft bangs and thumps in the other room is because of a conflict between big brother and the other adult. That adult is strange. He seems to smile strangely a lot and want to play all the time, particularly with his cards. He's always dressed in some kind of clown suit, shoes with the toes turning up and all. Alluka is glad they stopped, but now the silence is deafening and he can't sleep. Insomnia usually follows whenever he slept too much in the day time. Oh well. He would have loved to go out into the woods and play, maybe catch an animal here and there, but Illumi told him to stay put, inside the boring cabin. Having had nothing to do, he slept.
Big brother never explained why they are here, but he didn't question - Illumi has taken care of him since he was very young. He trusts big brother. He wonders whether that has anything to do with the argument that man called Hisoka was having with brother.
Speaking of the devil, the red haired jester softly comes in through the door and clicks it shut. The two males gaze at each other uncertainly. "Where is big brother?" The elder jerks a thumb towards the door to indicate the other room. The kid relents, albeit unwillingly - satisfied that big brother is around still. Silence falls. He does not fear for Illumi, because Illumi's invincible to his childish mind.
Hisoka approaches the bed. "Want to see some magic tricks?" He's surprised at himself, really. Usually, having something akin to a moral compass is uncharacteristic of him. However, in the past two days when Illumi takes on another assignment, then reports back to the Zaoldyecks, which leaves him no time to look after the child, he enlists the jester. Since meeting each other by coincidence some years ago - when Illumi's task clashed with the whims of the clown, they have been using each other for company and tiny favors. Anything more would require payment. His thoughts return to the child in front of him in a few seconds, when Alluka nods. Hisoka smiles lightly. A deck of playing cards appears in his hands; he spreads it out between two hands. "Pick a card. Any card..."
The antics continue only until Alluka falls asleep. Hisoka strays off to the side of the room, admiring the moon north west of the sky. His expression is serene, thoughtful. The child's deep breathing is soothing, somehow. Truth is, in the past two days, he's come to like the kid, enough that he doesn't want him killed, much less by his own brother - and that surprises him. He's been dubbed 'psycho', because there were times when he just killed, almost seemingly for the heck of it. Compassion is the last thing he expects from himself. He's also getting uncharacteristically attached to Illumi, as well - maybe because the other may be the only one in the living world who comes close to understanding him. And he's pretty sure that should the other obey this set of orders, from controlling elder Zaoldyecks, he will regret it. Illumi does have something of a conscience, hidden behind deadpan eyes, though it's been smothered enough that he no longer knows it. Perhaps he no longer cares, letting himself be ripped to shreds by circumstances. He just needs an ally, that's all.
It's not like him to be this pensive, or sentimental. He is tired, after all. Hisoka's resting place will be the roof, tonight. Let the goddess Artemis accompany him for a few hours.
Footsteps thump a bit louder. The red haired man turns to his side for a better position - and finds air. Not awake enough to stop himself and gain a reasonable footing, Hisoka's eyes bulge as he rolls off the roof. Usually, he can land on his feet fairly well - but those times are when he's fully awake.
Morning air is always refreshing. Illumi sucks in a deep breath as he listens to the forest itself nudging the animals awake. Birds chirp here and there; the sky is a deep azure, without a cloud in sight. Good, he thinks. No sign of rain for today. Suddenly something drops heavily; Illumi braces himself and catches the oddly colored bundle. - It's a bird! No, it's a plane! No, it's... Hisoka?
"Oomph! ... What were you doing up there?" He looks down at the magician in his arms.
"Illumi! hearts hugs tighter My, what muscles you have, to be able to carry me like this?!"
"I said, what were you doing up there?"
"Oh. Yesterday night, after we fought, you banged the door shut so I soothed Alluka to sleep and then slept up here." The pale assassin let the man down onto his feet, his questioning completed. He turns to head back into the structure. "Illu, where are you going?"
"Back in. We're leaving shortly - you might want to grab a bite before we head out."
"Where're we going?"
"Mayhem Heights." With that, Illumi heads in to rouse the young boy, whereas the clown goes for a shower. That's always a good idea after sleeping on a tiled roof for a night.
Her husband covers his ears in a futile attempt to drown out her shrieks and high pitched yells of outrage. Their son had not come back after four nights; isn't he worried?! "My poor baby! What could have happened to him?! He was supposed to have killed his brother and returned days ago! He can't be rebelling, can he? He wouldn't do that to me!" ... Silva, head of the Zaoldyeck household, sighs.
"Kikyou, please be reasonable. Nothing can harm our son; he's the fourth most efficient killer on the planet next to father, you and me. He's probably just taking his time, that's all."
"He shouldn't be!" He watches and turns away, as she starts another tangent about how Illumi was always a very responsible child, how he never broke any rules, was very efficient and obedient, that this shouldn't be happening... Then he just loses track. It's no wonder his wife is famous for these tantrums; anybody within twenty meters is bound to get a lasting migraine. He can't stand it any longer.
"Shut up!" he yells irritably. Silence suddenly hangs in the air, so still that they can hear the other's breathing. He sighs. "I'll tell Milluki to give him a call. Your incessant worrying won't do anyone much good. For now,... Please go back to the chambers, dear." She wipes her eyes with a sleeve, picks up her dress and hurries back to another room of the Zaoldyeck mansion.
A/N: Tada, Chapter 3. Thanks for reading! Please review. I'll be trying to upload what I have so far as fast as possible. Alluka's point of view may be a bit strange - as I know he's younger than a preteen, but haven't thought about exactly how old he should be. Probably somewhere around 6 - 12? Around 9, most likely.